Massaging vibrator



1311.311344. F. J. LA MERE Em 2,333,333

MAssAGING vIBRAToR.

Filed Nov. 8, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan- 4, 1944- F. J. L A MERE ETAL 2,338,339

I MASSAGING VIBRATOR Filed Nov. 8, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I/v vf/v TM5 img/fr *5i/M530.

mlm/fa MNE/ff. y ffm/f firm/msm Patented Jan. 4, .1944

MASSAGING VIBRATOR Frank JLa Mere, Minneapolis, Minn., and Robert Sardeson, Stamford, Conn.; said Sardeson assignor to said La Mere Application November 8, 1940, Serial No. 364,860

(Cl. 12S-64) 2 VClaims.

. This invention relates to massaging device and includes means for imparting a vibratory action thereto.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a massaging device which can be utilized on bare body parts to massage the skin and flesh for reducing and conditioning purposes and also for use on the head for invigrating the scalp and removing dandruf therefrom.

Another object of the invention is to provide a massaging device which includes a massaging element and means for imparting vibratory action thereto by means of a flow of air.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a, massaging vibrator which can be connected to a conventional household vacuum cleaner.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a massaging device with a plurality of outwardly extendingA nipples thereon and means for moving said nipples relative to each other to draw them toward each other and then move them apart to secure massaging action similar to that of the human fingers.

A further object ofthe invention is to provide a massaging device which includes bristle members adapted to cooperate with plastic nipples to supplement the brushing action of the nipples.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a suction massage device which includes means for securing specimens of dandruff from the head for diagnostic and other purposes.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the views, and, in which:

Fig. 1 is a general assembly view of a massage device connected to a household vacuum cleaner;

Fig. 2 is a top plan of a form of my invention with a portion broken away to show interior structure;

Fig. 3 is a section taken approximately on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section through an/` embodiment of my massage device with the dan-r druff collector incorporated therewith;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of another form of the invention;

Fig. 6 is a section taken approximately on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5; A

Fig. 7 is a section taken approximately on the line 1-1 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a top plan view of another form of the invention with portions broken away to show.

interior structure;

Fig. 9 is a section taken approximately on line 9--9 of Fig. 8; and

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary section through a massager built in accordance with my invention and showing the bristle attachment incorporated therewith.

In Fig. 1 there is shown a suction cleaner II having a hose I2 extending from its suction inlet, said hose having a suction massage device connected thereto as indicated generally at I3.

Figs. 2 and 3 show one form of the invention. There is provided a generally cup-shaped housing or body I4 having a tubular member I5 extending therefrom and adapted for connection to the suction hose I2. The cup-shaped body I4 is provided with a partition I6 which has a central aperture I'I formed therein. Mounted across the openings I1 is a. shaft I8 upon which is mounted a rotary valve I9. This valve is generally ball shaped with cut-out portions as shown and one-half thereof, namely, the lower half, is heavier than the upper half as viewed in Fig. 3.

Mounted across the open mouth of the cupshaped membery I4 is a massage element M which has a flange 20 lying around the mouth portion -of the cup-shaped portion I4 and fitted over a flange 2l at the extreme edge of said body member I4. The massage element M includes a relatively flat diaphragm portion 22 and a plurality of spaced nipples 23 having apertures 24 formed therethrough and extending through the fiat portion 22 of said member M. The apertures 24 are flared at their outer ends as at 25 to provide openings at the ends of the nipples ywhich are substantially coextensive with the width of said nipples at their ends.

One or more openings 2B are provided in the cup-shaped body member I4 to permit air to flow into said body member or the air inlet side of the partition I6.

When the device is connected to a hose such as a suction hose I2 and the suction machine II is operated there will be an inow of air through the nipple apertures 24 and through the opening I1 in the partition I6 and thence through the connector element I5 and hose I2 to the suction machine. The flow of air through the apertures 24 and partition aperture I'l causes the valve member I9 to rotate. This rotary action causes the outer portions of the valve member I9 to close the partition aperture II intermittently. When the valve member I9 is in open position, as shown, the suction exerted by the suction machine I I causes the rubber massage element M to be pulled inwardly to describe a substantially concavo-convex shape and when the valve member I9 closes the partition aperture I1 during its rotation it cuts ed the ren duced pressure new and permits the diaphragm to flex outwardly toward its natural substantial ly flat position.

As the diaphragm member 22 is pulled inwardly under the inuence of suction it will cause the nipples 23 to be drawn together somewhat toward a common center, and when the valve i9 closes and permits the diaphragm to flex outwardly the nipples will move away from each other from their common center toward their normal position. It is this action of the nipples which produces a massaging movement very similar to the action of the lingers of a masseuse in kneading or working the iiesh by drawing the ngers together and moving them away from each other while in contact with the esh.

Not only is the nger-like action of the nipples 23 effective in massaging, but the inward and outward movement oi the massage member M produces a beating action against the flesh which is effective for stimulating circulation and reducing fatty parts.

Attention is called to the unevenly weighted rotary valve I9. It is so constructed to prevent the valve from lying in closed position across the opening I1 and stopping in that position and preventing iiow to the suction machine Il. If the valve were evenly balanced it would be possible to stop in its closed position and with the pressure ow even therearound or thereagainst would be retained in its closed position and prevent proper functioning of the device.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 illustrate another form of the invention. They show a substantially cup-shaped body member 21 which has a flanged mouth portion 28 and over which is positioned a massage member M as shown and described in connection with Figs. 2 and 3.

A normally horizontally disposed sleeve 29 is mounted in the top of the cup-shaped body member 21 and has an aperture 38 therein to afford communication between the interior of the body 21 and the sleeve 29. A second aperture 3I is provided in the upper portion of the sleeve 29. The right-hand end of the sleeve 29 is open and has positioned therein a hose connector element 32, the inwardly extending portion of said connection being provided with a spider-like web 33 whose central portion constitutes a bearing 34 for a horizontally disposed axial shaft 35. The bearing 34 is provided with a takeup screw 36. The opposite end of the shaft 35 is mounted in a suitable bearing 31 in the left-hand end wall of the sleeve 29 and said shaft 35 carries a cylindrical member 38, said member being connected to the shaft for rotation therewith with the sleeve 29. The left-hand end of the cylinder 38 has an end wall 39 and its right-hand end is open. A propeller blade assembly 40 is secured to the shaft 35 and the right-hand end of the cylinder 38 and is adapted to rotate with cylinder 38 and shaft 35. The sleeve 38 is provided with an opening 4I which, upon rotation of cylinder 38, will bring said opening 4I successively into registry with openings 30 and 3| in the stationary cylinder 29. The inner sleeve 38 is provided with a. .weight 42 which functions in the same general manner as the unbalanced valve I9 shown in Figs. 2 and 3. When there is no suction applied Weight 42 will bring the opening 4I down into registration with the opening 3B in sleeve 29 and maintain it in that position so that upon the application of suction now air can :dow through the massaging element M land into the sleeve 29 and cylinder 3K8 to act against the ian. 49.

Mounted on the outer side of the sleeve 29 is a third sleeve-like member 43 which has a screened opening 43a formed therein, and said sleeve 43 can be turned on sleeve 29 to partially restrict or fully close the upper opening 3l in sleeve 29. Manipulation of the outer sleeve 43 permits control or air flowing through the massaging element M and in turn controls the degree of suction applied to said massaging element.

In Figs. 8 and 9 another form of the invention is illustrated. lliihere is shown a body member ltd having a cup-like chamber 45 about whose mouth is formed a flange 48 to receive a massaging element M as in the other two forms shown.

The body 4d is provided with a baille or partition 31 having an aperture 48 formed therein. The upper portion of the body 44 rotatably carries a disc member 49 having an opening 5I) formed therethrough. The disc 49 has an upstanding central post 5I Whose lower end is somewhat pointed and rests in a depression 52 in the central portion of the disc 49. Post 5I has an upwardly opening bore therein to receive a balancing pin 53, said pin being secured to a removable top member 54. Extending upwardly from the disc 49 adjacent its edges is a plurality of curved turbine blades 55 which cause the disc to rotate under the influence of air flow. An opening 56 in the body member 44 affords suicient inow of air to initially start the disc 49 and its blades 55 to rotate, and when the disc opening 59 registers with the partition opening 48 inflow of air is permitted through the massage member M into the turbine and thence to a source of negative pressure such as the suction machine I I.

It will be seen that there is a weighted element 55a on one of the turbine blades 55 which will, of course, make the turbine rotate out of balance. Due to the fact that the turbine rotates on a normally vertical axis there Will be an oscillatory action normal to the axis of the turbine to produe a benecial massaging movement.

In the first two embodiments shown and described the vibratory action produced by the Weighted element 42, shown in Fig. 6, and the unbalanced valve I9, shown in Figs. 2 and 3, Will be in a direction toward and away from the massaging element M to increase the so-called pounding effect of the massaging element.

It is, of course, understood that in all three embodiments of the invention the function of the massage device is the same. We have shown several variations of means for securing intermittent cut off and application of suction to the massaging head M. In each case the function of the rubber massaging element is the same but one form of the invention might be found more efcient under different degrees of suction pressure.

In Fig. 10 there is shown a fragmentary portion of a relatively stationary body B which might be the open mouth of any of the body portions shown in the three embodiments. The massaging element M is shown secured thereto in the manner described. Clamped between the flanged mouth portion of the body B and a part of the massaging element M is a ange 51 forming a part of a disc-like member 58. The member 58 has a plurality of openings 59 formed therethrough and also has sets of spaced bristle units 60 extending downwardly therefrom. It will be seen that the bristles extend through certain of the apertures 24 in the massage element M and that others of said apertures are left fully opened. The bristle elements preferably terminate adjacent the outer ends of the openings 24. With this attachment when operating on the scalp the bristles will act to loosen up the scalp and loose dandruif will then be drawn past the bristles through the apertures 24 and also through those apertures which have no bristles positioned in them. From the manner of mounting the disc B carrying the sets of bristles it can easily be inserted or removed from the device, and it is so arranged that it will not interfere with functioning 'of any of the valve elements which intermittently cut off the reduced pressure ow. The openings'59 in the disc 58 are, oi course, provided to permit air flow through the disc.

In Fig. 4 there is shown the lower portion rf a body member B similar to the showing in Fig. l0 and a massaging element M. Clamped against the mouth of the body member B by the massaging element M is a sheet of fabric 6I which preferably is of a dark color. When the scalp is being treated dandrui will be drawn through the openings 24 of the massage element M and be caught by the fabric 6I while air passes through the fabric to the flow control valve. When the treatment is completed the massaging element M can be removed to give access to the sheet of fabric 6I and the accumulation of dandrui will be found thereon. By utilizing a dark colored fabric the lighter colored dandrui can be more readily seen. This feature of the invention is provided not only to clearly show the customer what has been removed from the scalp but might also be used for diagnostic purposes to determine the reasons for scalp conditions involving excessive dandrufi.

When the fabric 6I is used in conjunction with the bristle holding member 58 it can, of course, be pressed inwardly a greater distance than that shown in Fig. 4 so that it will lie above the bristle carrying element 58.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that we have provided a massaging device havhousehold suction cleaner or from some special suction machine as desired. The rubber massaging element M can be quickly and easily removed from the body portion of the device for sterilizing after each treatment. The device can be used with or without the bristle unit as can the dandrui collecting fabric member 6l. One of the important features of the invention, however, is the linger-like action of the nipples 23 as the diaphragm-like portion 22 of the massaging element M is flexed inwardly and then released to spring back to its normal shape. Due to the iiexibility of the massaging element M it can be adapted to generally at surfaces or to roundedy surfaces such as the human head.

While we have described our invention in connection with the treatment of humans, it is also contemplated that it might be used for conditioning the hide and hair of animals such as dogs or horses. A

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the various parts without departing from the scope of our invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a massaging vibrator and the like, a source of differential pressure, a substantially cup-shaped body member, a yieldable diaphragm secured over the open mouth of said cup-shaped body member and movable relative thereto, a

. substantially cylindrical air valve member having ing the characteristics of a vibrator or beater which is effective for reducing fattened body parts and is also extremely useful in treating the scalp. It can be operated from an ordinary an opening therein communicating with the interior of said cup-shaped body member. a second substantially cylindrical valve member rotatable relative to said first member and adapted to intermittently close the opening in said first valve member, and an air motor connected to said second valve member and having an airiiow connection with said differential pressure source.

2. In a massaging device, a relatively rigid body member. a head portion secured to said body member, a plurality of nipples extending outwardly from said head portion and having apertures formed longitudinally therethrough, certain of said apertures having bristles extending therethrough and terminating adjacent the outer ends of said nipples, and a differential pressure device -having a flow connection with the apertures in said nipples at the base ends of said nipples.

FRANK J. LAMERE. ROBERT SARDESON. 

